Awildian

Awildian is a New Zealand gin brand from Coromandel Distilling Company, founded in 2019 by scientists Paul Schneider and Daniela Suess in Thames. What started as home experimentation with manuka honey grew into a dedicated distillery built around a custom German pot still, with water drawn from the nearby Kauaeranga Valley. The name itself is an archaic word meaning "the refusal to be tamed", a nod to the distillery's independent approach.

Each gin is built around local Coromandel botanicals alongside manuka honey and a wider mix of ingredients sourced from further afield, giving the range real variety across classic, colour-changing, and matured styles. In 2024, Coromandel Distilling Company won five gold medals at the World Gin Awards, more than any other distillery in the competition that year, a considerable result for one of the smallest producers involved. It stands as one of the more decorated names in New Zealand gin.